


Amnesia

by Kiloueka



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Blood, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Moderate Violence, breakdown - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 01:37:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16231532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiloueka/pseuds/Kiloueka
Summary: What if the E-unit from the Amnesia quest recognized 2B as 2E and outed her.





	Amnesia

“Eee hee hee! Do you need a friend killed? A lover? It's my job! My job! Hee! My job! My j-job my j-j-job my-y-y-yyyyy jjjooooeeeheeheeeeee...” The red-haired Android laughed a broken, warped laugh as the realization of who she really was came back to her.

9S' gut twisted just listening to her as she continued to laugh and sob about what she'd done. He opened his mouth to say _something_ but 2B tapped her foot down, causing him to jump and turn in her direction.

“...Let's go.” She mumbled sharply and quickly turned to leave. 9S eyes flashed between the Android and his departing partner unsure of what to do when the E-unit let out a sharp laugh louder than any others.

“And it's your job too!” She laughed, looking straight at his partner.

2B f

“Isn't that right... 2E?”

A cold shock rushed through 9S body as he heard that name. He turned to 2B to see her standing stark still, mid-stride as if someone had stopped time around her.

“2...E...?”

“You remember me, right? 7E?” She continued. “We used to talk a lot about our jobs together! You used to go on about _emotions being prohibited_ this, and _we gotta follow orders_ that. How do you do it? Go out and kill and come back with such a straight face? Doesn't it _hurt?_ Doesn't it just _tear you apart?_ ”

“I—I...” 2B stuttered, voice strained and entire body stiff and trembling slightly.

“Oh... I wasn't supposed to say anything about this, was I?” She shrugged. “We were supposed to keep this _confidential,_ weren't we? Whoops!”

“2B what the hell is going on?” 9S said with a noticeable crack in his voice. “This isn't true right? She's just—”

“He's your target, isn't he?” She laughed, pointing straight at him.

“You gotta kill him one day, right? Hhhahaha.”

Still... no response from 2B. She was still frozen in place, that same stiff, wide-eyed look plastered on her face.

“Why not... hahahah... why not get it over with right now? Save yourself the trouble later. Here I'll help!” She drew her sword and focused her crazed gaze in his direction. 9S took an instinctive step back and flashed a glance at 2B... then back at 7E... and back again at 2B. She still hadn't moved an inch from where she stood and now 7E was quickly advancing on him.

In a flash, she charged, blindly swinging the sword in his direction. He dodged and scrambled over the precarious piles of rubble littering the room.

“Wh-what are you doing!” He screamed as her sword whizzed past his face close enough that he could feel the air currents brush against his skin.

She swung her sword almost drunkenly at 9S. Her eyes were wide and her face was plastered with a crazed grin. It wasn't too hard to dodge on its own, but the combination of shock from the attack, the revelation, and the fact that 2B was still frozen in place caused him to stumble and lose footing.

“2B!” He cried. “2B please!”

She didn't budge.

He tripped and stumbled backward into a pile of rubble, knocking his head against a chunk of concrete. His vision blurred momentarily and her sword flashed and clattered against a metal beam as 9S just barely flipped out of the way. Sparks flew out from where the sword and beam connected, lighting up her intense expression for the briefest of moments.

Tears? She was crying?

“Come on 2E, what are you waiting for?” She laughed... or sobbed, he couldn't even tell anymore. “He can't stand a chance against two of us!”

Still, 2B wouldn't budge. Her jaw hung open and she was breathing harder than he's ever seen her in battle. She was just... frozen.

He was alone.

He could run. He could easily run. There's no way she'd catch him in the state she was now... but...

There's no way he could just leave 2B behind like this...

2B...

2...E..?

_It's not true, there's no way it's true!_

7E just kept swinging and slashing at him that he wasn't able to think much besides where he should dodge next.

He was lucky she was so unstable, otherwise, he wouldn't have stood a chance against this kind of raw power.

She charged again but stumbled and fell to her hands and knees; 9S took the chance to dash back to his partner to get her out of there.

“2B _please!_ I'm _begging_ you! Wake up!” He tugged at her arm but 7E was back up and on them before he could get anywhere.

_Shit shit shit._ He thought as he realized the stupidity of his actions. He had just brought 2B right in her line of fire. He can't run, he can't carry her... all he can do is.

He pulled out his sword and charged, just barely parrying her attack with all his strength. They both stumbled backward and he charged her again. If he could just knock the sword from her hand he could get himself enough time to hack and immobilize her...

He swung his sword, but this time she was ready for him. Her sword came up with so much force it tore his from his hand and embedded it in the ceiling, bending it almost in half. He tried to call it back, but it was too badly damaged.

“ _Shit!_ ” He screamed and fell backward onto a pile of collapsed ceiling. He tossed whatever he could grab at her as he pulled himself back up, but in his panic, nothing he threw came even close to her. She swung her sword down again but at the last second he wrenched a rusty pipe from the rubble and blocked the brunt of the blow. Her swing was strong enough to still send the pipe crashing into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and making his vision go dark for a long moment.

She raised her sword one more time as he struggled to regain composure and...

“No no no no!” He screamed and closed his eyes, preparing for the fatal bite of her blade.

But the blade never connected. Instead, he received a different shock as a spray of oily blood splattered across his face and body. He pried his eyes open to see her standing above him, eyes wide and jaw slack with a white sword protruding from her chest... directly through her Black box.

The E-unit coughed and stumbled, letting her sword clatter harmlessly to the ground. She slowly turned her head to confront her attacker and let out a defeated laugh when she caught sight of her.

“So...” She coughed. “That's how it's... gonna... be... eh... 2E?” She stumbled and fell from the sword as her legs bent and gave way beneath her. 2B grabbed her hair before she hit the ground and flung her to the floor away from 9S.

She stumbled over to 7E, still barely alive, and raised her sword high over her head and brought it down. A terrible scream erupted from her throat, something akin to what an injured and cornered animal might screech in desperation as she ran the sword through her.

Again.

And again.

And again.

9S stared in shock, completely unable to move as he watched her tear apart the other Android. Her thrusts were frantic, they were frenzied, they were clumsy; barely half of them even met their mark and instead clattered off the concrete with deafening screeches. Blood spattered in all directions and her sword soon became warped beyond recognition.

9S desperately wanted to call out to her, but the fear of what she might do if he caught her attention in the state she was in kept his mouth sealed shut.

Soon, her movements slowed and she made one final thrust into 7E's chest before her legs gave way beneath her and she fell to her knees. Her body leaned forward and she placed her head against the hilt of her sword, letting one arm dangle limply to the side. Her shoulders shook as she began to sob... or...

...Was she laughing?

9S couldn't tell... He couldn't understand anything, he couldn't even begin to break down what just happened. All he knew is that something was very, very wrong... and that some deep suspicions he had about his partner were most likely true.

“2...B..?” He asked timidly.

She shook her head almost imperceptibly. Her silver hair, now splattered with blood faintly glowed an eerie shade of red in the filtered light. Her shoulders continued to tremble and she began mumbling something he couldn't quite make out at first.

“I ca-- I can't I can't... not not this soon. Not this soon not this soon not now not now not now!”

“2B?” He said again.

“That's not my name!” She screamed. “2B is a lie... I'm a lie...” Her voice had instantly lowered to a whimper. “I'm...”

What the hell was he supposed to do?

2E?

That E-unit said...

She... was going to kill him one day...

Maybe even today...

But...

Despite every fiber of his rational mind screaming at him to run, or kill her before she killed him...

...He couldn't.

“2B...”

She shook her head weakly and whimpered.

“2B...” He repeated a little louder.

“S-stop... please...”

“2B.” He stood up and winced as the movement aggravated the damage on his chest.

“I'm... I'm not...”

“2B.” He approached her cautiously, taking care not to sneak up on her and startle her.

**“You heard what she said!”** She snarled and snapped her head towards him. He stumbled back as he felt her gaze pierce through her visor and into him. Her breath was heavy and ragged and her grip on her sword was strong enough to warp the hilt.

“I did... I did and I don't want to believe it's true but...” He lowered his gaze to the floor and thought back to the many small puzzle pieces that were all coming together now. “It is, isn't it.”

She nodded.

“You've killed me before, haven't you?”

She flinched and nodded again.

“But... you... you don't want to do this, do you?”

She let out a strained sob and shook her head.

“But then... why..?”

“ **What choice do I have?** ” She snapped, sending him stumbling back even further. “I've tried _everything_! Nothing works! I've tried being close to you! I've tried being cold to you! I've tried to discourage you from doing whatever it is YoRHa doesn't want you doing in so many ways! I've even tried... calling you... N-n... But it doesn't matter! None of it matters because it always ends like this!" She gestures to the mangled corpse of 7E still leaking blood as the occasional spark flew out of her frayed wiring.

“You just... keep... sticking your nose where it doesn't belong..." Her voice had lowered to a whimper. "And I have to be the one to punish you for it... And now." She shoved her sword even deeper into 7E's chest. "I... I have to... to..." Her body stiffened and she slowly turned her head toward him.

“No... no no wait 2B!” 9S cried. “Please let's just talk about this first!” He slowly began approaching her once more and lowered his voice.

“I don't wanna accept this... I don't wanna die... but...” He reached out and placed a hand on 2B's shoulder. She looked away but released her grip on her sword and sat down. 9S shimmied up beside her and sat down silently next to her.

"So... why do something neither of us wants?"

2B let out a single strained sob. “Wh-what are you going to do then? Are you just going to go on pretending this never happened until I get the order?” She grabbed her sword again. “I just have to... just end it now and start fresh...”

In a flash, she was back on her feet and advanced on 9S. He scrambled back again and cried out to her.

“2B please!” His back hit the wall and he found himself once again cornered by an unstable Executioner.

“I'm so sorry.” She sobbed as she lifted her sword high above her head. 9S closed his eyes and curled up waiting for the end... no one was there to save him this time.

But again, the end never came.

The clatter of 2B's warped sword on the ground made him jump and peek out of the tightly curled ball he was in. She still stood over him with her arms hanging limply at her side. Her head hung low and her shoulders shook once again.

“I can't.” She whispered as she fell to her knees.

“Not anymore.” She doubled over and curled up on herself and whimpered softly before going silent.

It took a long moment for 9S to even begin to come down from the shock he was in... but he soon uncurled himself and looked at the pitiful sight before him.

How could such a cool and composed fighter be reduced to this in such a short time?

“2B?” He murmured.

No response.

“2B?” He said a little louder.

Still, nothing.

What the hell should he do?

He needed more time.

More time to think and figure things out.

They weren't going to get anywhere covered in blood and grime in a musty old building.

He sighed, and shifted a bit closer to her, eyeing her sword nervously before focusing back on her.

“You don't want to do this.”

Again, she stayed silent, not even giving a sign that she heard him.

“I don't want you to do this.”

He placed his hand on her shoulder.

“You've done this before... many times I can tell.”

His other hand settled on her other shoulder.

“And you've tried to stop it but... nothing works...”

He squeezed her shoulder gently.

“But you can't just give up like that...”

She flinched slightly.

“Please don't give up like that.

“I know it hurts but...

“I don't wanna die...

“You can't stop trying, we'll find something.

“Maybe this time something will change...

“Maybe next time...

“I don't know... but...

“But if you kill me now we'll never know.

"So, please...

“Just... let's go back to camp and talk about this, ok?

“I won't say anything...

“I just...”

2B let out a whimper and shifted slightly, causing 9S to flinch back and release his grip for the briefest of moments. The moment he broke contact she quickly folded back in on herself and went still once again.

_Shit. Shit 9S, think fast._

“It's ok 2B. I know you're not going to hurt me right now..." He lied. "I just...”

9S tightened his grip on her shoulders and took a deep breath before slowly pushing her up. She resisted at first, but 9S kept at it gently until she eventually relented. He let go with one hand and pulled his visor down around his neck and then reached out to 2B's.

The fabric was completely soaked and for a brief moment he almost backed down entirely. His hand lingered on the lowest portion before taking another breath tugging hers down as well. Her misty blue eyes were focused on a random spot on the ground and she refused to look up at him.

Even so... 9S looked directly into her eyes and smiled softly; he wasn't even sure she could see it in the dim light, but he had to try.

“I promise we can figure something out one day.”

2B groaned and pushed back against him, but he held fast and refused to let his smile waver.

“Why...” She murmured almost silently.

“Huh?”

“Why are you always... so nice to me...”

“I...”

“Why don't you fight back anymore?”

“2B... I—”

“You can kill me so easily right now! But instead... you're comforting me... Why!?”

“I don't know why!” 9S snapped but gasped and covered his mouth as 2B flinched. “I don't know what the other 9S' did... or why they did any of it... but... I know... I can tell that there's something that persists through all of us that has the strong desire to... stay by your side no matter what... And I'm not gonna be the odd one out and abandon you like this.”

2B stopped shaking and slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. He softened his eyes and let his smile return. Then... he did what he never dreamed would happen.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. 2B gasped and her body stiffened but soon relaxed enough to let her arms go limp by her sides.

“I don't understand.” She murmured, voice wavering.

“Neither do I," he squeezed harder, "but it doesn't matter right now.” 

“I... you...” She stuttered; her arms twitched and slowly and shakily slid their way up his back and wrapped around him. She buried her face in his chest and let out a single low whine before going silent and rubbing her hands along his coat.

“Thank you. 9S.” She murmured. 9S squeezed harder and pressed his face into her neck.

“Come on...” He hummed, running his fingers through 2B's grimy hair. “Let's go home.” 


End file.
